Confronting Christianity with Rebecca McLaughlin

Where did the Bible come from—and how do we know we can trust it? Rebecca is joined by textual scholars John Meade and Peter Gurry to explore how Scripture was written, copied, translated, and recognized as canon. From the Septuagint to the Apocrypha, they unpack the Bible’s complex history—and why that history strengthens rather than weakens Christian confidence in God’s Word.Follow...

Rebecca talks with pastor and author Dr. Stephen Witmer about why poetry—especially the work of 17th-century priest George Herbert—can deepen our understanding of the gospel. Through Herbert’s poems, they explore themes of inadequacy, priesthood, and the imputed righteousness of Christ. Along the way, they discuss why Scripture itself uses poetry and why beauty, metaphor, and imagination matter...

Are human beings basically good—or fundamentally broken? Rebecca is joined by clinical neuropsychologist Jo Johnson to explore what decades of psychological work reveal about human nature, shame, and our deep sense that something is “off.” Together they argue that Christianity doesn’t deny our inner darkness, but offers the only true freedom: being fully known and fully loved in Jesus.Buy Jo's...

Rebecca McLaughlin and Dr. Rob Smith continue their conversation on sex, gender, and transgender theory by tracing how the New Testament holds together real equality and real difference between men and women. They discuss gender dysphoria, disorders of sexual development, and why Christians can pursue deep compassion without affirming claims they believe are untrue. Throughout, they argue that...

Rebecca talks with Anglican minister and theologian Dr. Rob Smith about what “transgender theory” actually claims—and why clarity matters before conversation can even begin. They explore how the Bible frames bodies, sex, and “gender expression,” starting in Genesis and touching on why Christians can’t simply throw the word “gender” away. This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion of Rob’s book The...

In this episode, Rebecca McLaughlin talks with evangelist and surgeon Sam Chan about why Christmas still matters in an anxious, skeptical world. Drawing on Sam’s book The Missing Piece, they explore how the incarnation meets our deep longing for peace—not by fixing everything, but by God coming near to us in Jesus.Follow Sam:Blog | X | InstagramUse code IF to receive 30% off your copy of The ‘If’...

What does a 4th-century African bishop have to do with smartphones, social media, and AI chatbots? Rebecca sits down with ethicist Autumn Ridenour to explore how Augustine’s famous line, “our hearts are restless until they rest in you,” exposes both the appeal and the danger of our digital lives—from endless scrolling to AI “relationships” and deepfake-fueled distrust.Use code IF to receive 30%...

Therapist and ministry leader Zach Ellis spends his days walking with men tangled up in porn, shame, and unwanted sexual behavior. In this episode, Zach and Rebecca talk about lust as both sin and sign, how trauma fractures us, and why the opposite of addiction isn’t willpower but connection—being truly known by God and his people. If you’ve ever wondered whether your sexual history puts you...

Christine walks through 2 Corinthians, Paul’s deeply personal letter about weakness, suffering, and the upside-down way of Jesus. She shares honestly about writing her new Bible study, More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 Corinthians, while her 20-year-old son was undergoing treatment for cancer.Get the Book:More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 CorinthiansFollow Christine:Instagram |...

Portia Collins is a Bible teacher, author, and speaker from the Mississippi Delta. She’s the author of Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study in Galatians, founder of She Shall Be Called, and serves on staff with Revive Our Hearts. Portia is passionate about helping women grow in Bible literacy and embrace the true freedom found in Jesus.Get the Book:Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study...